HS BASKETBALL: Diverse, competitive field set to take court at BJHC

Published 4:31 pm, Sunday, December 28, 2014

Midland High's Alexandra Washington drives around Lee High's BriAn Washington Saturday in the third place game of the Bryon Johnston Holiday Classic. Tim Fischer\Reporter-Telegram

Midland High's Alexandra Washington drives around Lee High's BriAn Washington Saturday in the third place game of the Bryon Johnston Holiday Classic. Tim Fischer\Reporter-Telegram

Photo: Tim Fischer

HS BASKETBALL: Diverse, competitive field set to take court at BJHC

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Since its inception in 1993, the Byron Johnston Holiday Classic has provided an exciting showcase of high school hoops that has heated up Midland gyms on cold winter nights. A staple in Midland, the three-day tournament has always been able to attract some of west Texas’ top area teams who have battled their way to a championship game that has rarely disappointed over the years.

This year’s tournament figures to be no different in that respect. The games in the boys’ and girls’ brackets are expected to be competitive -- it should be an array of entertaining matchups to help those in attendance count down the final days until the new year. But this year’s edition of the Byron Johnston also features a few extra treats for spectators.

For staters, the boys’ bracket is headlined by two El Paso powers in Bel Air High School and Americas High School. Coming into their respective Monday games, those two teams are a combined 25-2. Bel Air is ranked No. 5 in TABC’s 5A boys’ rankings. Both playing in Pool B, fans will get a chance to see Bel Air and Americas square off at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Chapparal Center in what should be one of the marquee games of the tournament.

On the girls’ side, historic power St. Mary’s Academy from New Orleans will open against 11-time champion Plainview High School at noon Monday at Chapparal Center.

St. Mary’s Academy isn’t having a strong season so far, but the school is known for graduating former WNBA guard Shondra Johnson, who was selected 42nd overall by the Houston Comets in the 2002 draft.

For the first time in several years, the girls’ tournament will also feature a foreign team. This year it’s the Southern Stars, a team comprised of high school players from all over Australia. The Stars will open against Midland High at 6 p.m. Monday at Chapparal Center.

Blake Johnston, a tournament committee member and the son of the late Byron Johnston, said he is excited for the matchups in both the boys’ and girls’ fields this year.

“It’s so cool (having out of area and out of country teams play in the tournament),” Johnston said. “That was the goal when this tournament started, to pull in teams from all over. That has been a unique part of the tournament, but it doesn’t happen every year. It’s neat for people to see that when it does.”

A consistent characteristic of this tournament has been its ability to draw quality teams that compete well against each other. Blowouts happen in basketball, but the committee does its best to keep the fields balanced in order to provide more memorable games that will bring in fans.

The girls bracket includes three Midland teams -- MHS, Lee and Midland Classical Academy -- as well as El Paso Eastlake, Plainview, Bushland, St. Mary’s Academy and the Southern Stars.

“We want to make this (the Byron Johnston) a premier tournament in Texas at Christmas,” MHS girls’ head coach Wes Torres said. “You’ve got to create a buzz and get those out of state and country teams. You have to bring those teams in that have tradition. When you bring in a team from the outside, you might get people coming in (to the games) that wouldn’t normally come in. You might have a little girl who wasn’t a basketball fan become interested by watching those games.”

MHS, Lee, Hereford, Bel Air, Crowley, Plainview, Bushland and Americas round out the boys’ bracket. Compared to the girls’ bracket, that group is much more of a mixed bag with greater disparity in record between undefeated Bel Air (14-0) and teams such as Crowley and Lee (1-13). But come tournament time, throw the records out the window -- there’s a reason they play the games, after all.

“I’m expecting one of the most competitive boys’ tournaments in a long time,” MHS head coach Charles Tatum said. “There are no weak teams. It’s evenly matched. The biggest thing missing in West Texas is high-level basketball. They (Bel Air and Americas) get the community excited. It’s good for the Midland teams to see that level of talent come in.”

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Everything you need to know about the Byron Johnston Holiday Classic

2014 TEAMS AT A GLANCE

BOYS

El Paso Bel Air Highlanders

Coach: Rob Dibler

Record: 14-0

The scoop: The Highlanders come into the tournament as the only ranked boys squad — No. 5 in TABC’s Class 5A poll. Bel Air has won 40 of its last 43 games and is a favorite to win the tournament.

El Paso Americas Trailblazers

Coach: Jimmy Calderon

Record: 11-2

The scoop: Another strong El Paso team taking part in the festivities in Midland. The Trailblazers struggled last season, going 12-17, but they’re legitimate this year and come into the tournament having won eight of their last nine contests.

Midland High Bulldogs

Coach: Charles Tatum

Record: 7-6

The scoop: Charles Tatum’s group could be a darkhorse to win the tournament it has hosted since its inaugural year in 1993. The Bulldogs will carry momentum into their matchup tonight against Crowley, having taken down previously Class 3A No. 5 Brownfield on Dec. 19.

Lee Rebels

Coach: Chris Packer

Record: 1-13

The scoop: They’re the defending champs, but the tide has turned in a year. The Rebels finally earned their first win of this season on a buzzer-beater against Canutillo in the Tall City Oilman’s Tournament on Dec. 11. This is a team that plays hard and will be looking for the upset in any game it plays in pool play.

Bushland Falcons

Coach: Steve Rhodes

Record: 7-3

The scoop: Bushland’s 7-3 record coming in looks strong on the surface. But outside of a win against Nazareth, the No. 10 Class A team, to open the season, the Falcons have been largely untested. The Byron Johnston will change that. The Falcons will square off against MHS on day two in a return to the gym where it won a Class 2A regional title in March.

Plainview Bulldogs

Coach: Leon Hagerman

Record: 10-6

The scoop: Plainview has played a tough slate of games. The Bulldogs’ opening-round game against El Paso Bel Air will likely be the toughest it has played all season. But with the way Bel Air is playing, the same can be said for many teams right now.

Crowley Eagles

Coach: Alfred Jones

Record: 1-10

The scoop: The Eagles’ 1-10 record is the reflection of having to play a demanding, Metroplex-heavy schedule. The Metroplex is a well-documented hoops mecca, and the Eagles aren’t a team to take for granted in this tournament. They may be underdogs, but they’ll be competitive.

Hereford Whitefaces

Coach: C.J. Villegas

Record: 6-6

The scoop: The Whitefaces have played a respectable schedule featuring opponents whose combined records to this point are 81-62. They have one of the easier draws in the tournament, as they’ll avoid both El Paso teams until the championship. In pool play, their toughest game looks to be against MHS in Tuesday’s nightcap.

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GIRLS

Midland High Lady Bulldogs

Coach: Wes Torres

Record: 15-4

The scoop: The Lady Bulldogs might be the strongest team in this year’s girls’ bracket. But as good as they’ve been over the last few years, they only have two Byron Johnston titles, which means they could be especially hungry for that third one this time around.

Midland Classical Lady Knights

Coach: Jim Beattie/Carla Cunneen

Record: 9-3

The scoop: The Lady Knights are coming off of a 64-27 thrashing at the hands of Lee on Dec. 19. MCA wasn’t close to their best in that game though and will be looking for a clean slate today. They are the No. 3 team in the TABC’s girls small private division.

Lee Lady Rebels

Coach: Monica Ramirez

Record: 6-7

The scoop: A speedy and athletic team that pressures the opposition on both ends, the Lady Rebels have gained some confidence with that convincing home win against MCA. They don’t have it easy in the first two days — they’ll play Bushland on Monday and Plainview on Tuesday — but their team speed and hustle can give almost anyone a run for their money.

El Paso Eastlake Falcons

Coach: Jessie Vela

Record: 10-7

The scoop: The Falcons have something to play for in this year’s Byron Johnston, as they fell to the seemingly incumbent champion Plainview in last year’s final. This is another group that has the capability of going all the way or quickly punching a ticket to the seventh-place game.

Plainview Lady Bulldogs

Coach: Danny Wrenn

Record: 11-6

The scoop: They’ll be in title defense mode, and the Lady Bulldogs are more than capable of repeating this year. Lee’s impressive speed could be a challenge for Plainview, but they have the talent to beat anyone in this tournament.

Bushland Lady Falcons

Coach: Scott Tankersley

Record: 6-8

The scoop: The Lady Falcons have never made an appearance in the girls’ championship game, and things look a bit bleak to make this year their first. Anything is possible at the high school level, especially for the Lady Falcons, who are 3-point happy. But Bushland will have to go through Lee and Plainview just get out of its own pool as the top team.

St. Mary’s Academy Cougars (New Orleans)

Coach: Keith Haywood

Record: 6-15

The scoop: The Lady Cougars’ record might be 6-15, but they’ll have the element of surprise against every team they play. There is bound to be some unfamiliarity in the minds of opposing coaches in terms of matchups. The Lady Cougars are one of the two wild cards of this year’s Byron Johnston.

Southern Stars (Australia)

Coach: Zoe Cant

Record: N/A

The scoop: An even bigger mystery in this year’s girls’ tournament, the Stars are an intriguing matchup with MHS on Monday night at Chapparal Center. This should provide some must-see first-day action.

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

BOYS

Gary Ringo, Jr. (MHS) — 11.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg

Daniel Nelson (Lee) — 13.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg

Tate Smallington (Bushland) — 11.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg

Ben McGee (Plainview) — 13.7 ppg

GIRLS

Daija Stanford (Lee)

Aubrie Elliot (MHS)

Karli Wheeler (Plainview) — 15.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg

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THREE GAMES TO WATCH

BOYS

Plainview (10-6) vs. El Paso Bel Air (14-0), 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Chapparal Center — Bel Air will be tested in its tournament-opening match against the Bulldogs. This game will be a major catapult for the winning team going into Tuesday’s action.

El Paso Americas (11-2) vs. Lee (1-13), 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Chapparal Center — The Rebels will get the first crack at a talented Trailblazers squad. Can the upset-minded Rebels — who will likely be underdogs in every game they play — pull off an opening-day shocker?

El Paso Bel Air (14-0) vs. El Paso Americas (11-2), 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Chapparal Center — This appears to be Tuesday’s main event, as the top two teams in the boys’ bracket will square off in pool play. The winner of this game could very well go on to win the tournament.

GIRLS

Australia Southern Stars vs. MHS (15-4), 6 p.m. Monday at the Chapparal Center — Wes Torres’ bunch will get the first look at the Southern Stars, the first foreign team in the Byron Johnston in several years. Each team’s unfamiliarity with each other should make for an exciting game to cap off the tournament’s first day on the girls’ side.

Lee (6-7) vs. New Orleans St. Mary’s Academy — 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Chaparral Center — Monica Ramirez’s run-and-gun Lady Rebels take on a historically strong Lady Cougars program from St. Mary’s Academy. Unfamiliarity should again be a factor in this game.

The Plainview girls have won this tournament 11 times in 13 championship appearances. The Lady Bulldogs won eight years in a row between 1999-2006. They have also won three of the last four Byron Johnston titles, with the lone exception coming in 2012.

PLAINVIEW-MHS GIRLS AGAIN?

It’s been an all Lady Bulldogs matchup in the championship games eight different times since girls began playing in 1993. Plainview went 8-0 in those games, winning by an average of 15.7 points per game. Both squads are strong again this season and they could be on a collision course for another meeting in the girls’ championship.

BEL AIR LONE RANKED TEAM

The Highlanders come into the boys’ tournament as the only ranked team. They are the No. 5 team in TABC’S 5A division.